


Taken By The Wind

by Haberdasher



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2019-09-23 22:57:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17089328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haberdasher/pseuds/Haberdasher
Summary: One woman decides, after fighting the wind, to follow it instead.





	Taken By The Wind

Jess knew the storm was coming, knew that the area would be drenched in an hour’s time. She’d checked the weather, and the forecast given led her to bring a raincoat as she went for her daily walk, in case she couldn’t quite beat the storm home. It was a risk, going out so close to when the rain would start, but it was one she was willing to take in the name of health and upholding her usual routine. If a few stray raindrops hit her, well, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

But what the weather reports had neglected to mention was how damn windy it was.

The wind pushed back against Jess with every step. She bent closer to the ground in the hopes of gaining surer footing, but to no avail. The hood of her raincoat had long since stopped resting atop her head and was instead flapping in the wind, proclaiming its useless for all to hear. Her dark hair flew every which way, covering her face to the point where she could barely see the street around her.

There were still four long blocks to go before she arrived home.

Jess pressed onward, though every time she moved she felt like she was about to fall, to be blown away to parts unknown- and then she  _did_  fall, having to grab onto grimy streets and shuttered windows to pull herself up again, to begin the struggle anew.

“Seriously?” she muttered.

The only reply was the wind doubling its efforts against her.

Jess made it to the end of the block, shivering as she waited for the light to change, then darting across the road as quickly as she could, which wasn’t very. She was all too aware of the cars waiting at the light, how those inside must be watching her as she struggled against what was literally nothing more than thin air. She had barely made it across when the light changed back- Jess always had thought that streetlight didn’t give people enough time to cross- and even though she had managed it, had stood upon the gray curb as the light turned green, one car still honked as it passed by, though what that honk was meant to convey Jess wasn’t entirely certain.

Three blocks to go.

She could do this. She could do this. She could-

Wait, had her hood always been ripped like that?

She couldn’t do this.

Jess squatted down next to a building. Theoretically, the building should have blocked or deflected some of the wind’s force, and she would be free to wait until it had died down somewhat. In actuality, the building did absolutely nothing to stop the gale that buffeted her, and it seemed to grow stronger, not weaker, with every passing minute.

After spending some time squatting in place and swearing under her breath, Jess sighed and stood up, taking the brunt of the wind. After a moment’s consideration, she pivoted in place until the wind was at her back.

“Fine.  _Fine._ You don’t want me to go home, wind? Well, where the fuck should I go, then?”

She let the wind push her, the light changing just in time for her to breeze across the road that she had struggled so hard to cross before, going block after block in what was entirely the wrong direction if she wanted to get home, but hell, home didn’t seem to be in the cards right now, might as well embrace the adventure to follow. After several blocks the wind shifted, and she turned to follow it, letting it lead her onto streets that might well have been new to her, streets which she had never given a second glance.

The gale became a gust became a mere breeze, until the day was dreary but otherwise calm. Jess brushed the hair from her face and realized that she was utterly lost.

She let out a swear and threw her hands in the air. “What now?”

She had barely finished the sentence before another gust of wind blew out of nowhere, slamming her into the nearest building. As Jess struggled to regain her bearings, her hand brushed against a door handle. She shrugged and grabbed onto the handle, pulling the door open with ease, glad to find shelter in whatever kind of business awaited her. A coffeehouse, by the smell of it, and an empty one, with nobody occupying any of the many tables and chairs within it.

“Welcome to Oasis Coffee! What can I get for you?”

Jess looked over at the source of the voice only to find the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen standing at the counter, a wide smile plastered on her face, and Jess’ frustration melted away as she stared at those deep brown eyes and that bright blonde hair. Looking at her, Jess was hard-pressed to remember why she had been frustrated in the first place.

As if on cue, a thunderclap erupted, and a steady stream of rain poured down in its wake, the threat of the oncoming storm finally fulfilled.

Jess gave the cashier a sheepish smile as she dug in her pockets for the bills she had stashed away there just in case.

“Just give me a minute- I’ve never been here before, but it looks like I might need to stay for a while…”

The cashier’s smile grew wider, and Jess’ heart beat faster, and in that moment, all was right with the world.


End file.
